The "Shawn Ryan Show" is hosted by Shawn Ryan, former U.S. Navy SEAL, CIA Contractor, and Founder of Vigilance Elite. We tell REAL stories about REAL people from all walks of life. We discuss the ups and downs, wins and losses, successes and struggles, the good and bad in a respectful but candid way with our guest. We're better than entertainment, we're the REAL thing. Please enjoy the show.
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Jen Lilley is an actress, singer, author, and foster care advocate best known for her roles on Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, and numerous Hallmark Channel films. Alongside her husband, Jen has dedicated much of her life to serving vulnerable children through foster care and adoption, fostering multiple children and adopting through the foster system. Drawing from her firsthand experience, she has become a passionate advocate for foster care awareness, family support, and child welfare ref...
Raised on a farm in Northwest Iowa, Eric Frohardt learned the value of hard work and personal responsibility at an early age. After one year of college, he joined the Navy and achieved his goal of becoming a Navy SEAL in 2000. Over nearly 12 years of service, he deployed around the world with SEAL Team Five and DEVGRU before being medically retired due to combat-related injuries. Since leaving the military, Eric has built and led teams across multiple industries, becoming a respected business le...
Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski is a first-generation Cuban-American theoretical physicist from Chicago whose life has been shaped by flight and physics. She began flight lessons at age nine and, between ages 12 and 14, built a single-engine Zenith CH 601 XL aircraft from a kit, making her own engineering modifications after fatal midair breakups involving the model. At 16, before she had a driver’s license, she flew the aircraft solo. The FAA later allowed her demonstration flight to validate her mo...
Two guests, one wild story. Ben Owen and Ryan Dalton join the show to break down their 2026 expedition to Little St. James, Jeffrey Epstein's former private island, and what happened when it went sideways. Ben Owen is the founder of We Fight Monsters, a Memphis-based anti-trafficking and addiction nonprofit. A recovered drug addict turned activist, he made national headlines in April 2026 after being detained on the island during a trip to document the property and raise questions about the Epst...
Josh Duhamel is an American actor, producer, and entrepreneur born and raised in Minot, North Dakota, where a blue-collar upbringing instilled a strong work ethic. He played backup quarterback at Minot State University and majored in biology with plans for dentistry, but dropped out shy of graduation (later finishing in 2005). He headed west, fell into modeling, and won IMTA Male Model of the Year in 1997, exposure that led to the role of Leo du Pres on *All My Children* (1999–2002) and a 2002 D...
Megyn Kelly is an American journalist, political commentator, and former attorney. She rose to national prominence as an anchor and host at Fox News from 2004 to 2017, where she hosted programs including America Live and The Kelly File. After a short tenure at NBC News, she launched her independent media company, Devil May Care Media, and now hosts the widely followed podcast and video program, The Megyn Kelly Show. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Visit https://drinkag1.com/SRS to get a free Morning P...
Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, TikTok's #1 sex educator, discusses why relationships are failing, emphasizing that communication is the strongest predictor of sexual satisfaction. Drawing from her 5,000-person study, she reveals that over one-third of Americans are sexually unsatisfied and delves into factors like attraction, sexual mindfulness, and personal insecurity. The episode also explores modern dating challenges faced by Gen Z, the impact of porn, and offers practical advice for fostering healthier, more pleasurable relationships.
Ron White is a two-time USA Memory Champion, U.S. Navy veteran, and one of the world's foremost memory training experts. Known as the "Brain Athlete," he has dedicated his career to proving that extraordinary memory is not a gift — it's a trainable skill. A Texas-based entrepreneur and speaker, White first discovered memory techniques in 1991 at age 18 and has spent over three decades mastering and teaching them. He won back-to-back USA Memory Championships in 2009 and 2010 and held the national...
In this powerful segment, Ron White, creator of the Afghanistan Memorial Wall and a Navy veteran who served in Afghanistan, solemnly recites the names of the American service members killed in action during the war. Known for memorizing and publicly honoring the fallen from memory, White delivers a moving tribute that reminds viewers these men and women are far more than statistics. Each name represents a life, a family, and a sacrifice that will never be forgotten. The full episode with Ron Whi...
Bryce Crawford is a Christian evangelist and street preacher known for direct, face-to-face gospel conversations in public spaces. He grew up in a church-influenced environment but experienced intense anxiety, depression, and spiritual confusion as a teenager, eventually becoming bitter toward religion. At age 17, after reaching a personal crisis point in late 2020, Crawford describes a dramatic conversion marked by a profound sense of peace and a complete redirection of his life toward evangeli...
AJ Pasciuti grew up in Sunnyvale, California, the son of Italian and Argentine immigrants. After 9/11 reshaped his sense of purpose, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was assigned to 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division — one of the most storied units in the Corps — where he served as a rifleman and team leader. Over twenty-one years of service, he deployed three times to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, including the Battle of Fallujah. He led a Scout Sniper team that tr...
Chris Bayless is a former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent who spent more than three decades working some of the most dangerous undercover investigations in the United States. An original member of ATF’s Enhanced Undercover Program beginning in 2000, Bayless spent years infiltrating violent outlaw motorcycle gangs including the Outlaws, Grim Reapers, and organizations connected to the Hell’s Angels, helping build major federal RICO prosecutions against orga...
Born and raised near Chicago, Illinois, Mel Chancey grew up in a Catholic household, even serving as an altar boy. But early in life, he found identity and belonging in motorcycle club culture. What began as camaraderie evolved into full immersion in the outlaw biker world. He became part of the Hell’s Henchmen before the club patched over to the Hells Angels, quickly rising through the ranks due to his intensity, loyalty, and commanding leadership presence. At a young age, he was serving as a c...
Joe Lonsdale is a technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist known for his work at the intersection of innovation and public policy. He is a co-founder of Palantir Technologies, a data analytics platform used by governments, defense agencies, and large enterprises. His work there focused on applying data systems to complex institutional challenges. After Palantir, Lonsdale founded Addepar, a financial technology platform designed to improve transparency and analysis in wealth management. He ...
Cenk Uygur is the CEO and founder of TYT (The Young Turks Network), host of The Young Turks — the first partner channel on YouTube — co-founder of the Justice Democrats, and bestselling author of Justice is Coming. Uygur launched The Young Turks in 2002 as Sirius Satellite Radio's first original talk show, before uploading their first video to YouTube in 2005. What began as an independent voice in political commentary grew into the longest-running daily online stream in history, consistently hol...
Louisa Nicola is a neurophysiologist, performance specialist, and founder of Neuro Athletics, a company focused on brain optimization and neurophysiology for elite performers. A former professional triathlete, Nicola’s early career in endurance sport shaped her belief that peak performance is driven as much by the brain as by the body. Her transition from elite competition to neuroscience was fueled by a desire to understand the neurological foundations of reaction time, resilience, recovery, an...
Andy Lowery is a retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander who served as a Nuclear Surface Warfare Officer and Nuclear Propulsion Officer, including active duty aboard the USS John C. Stennis. Over more than 30 years, Lowery held demanding roles spanning domestic and global assignments before retiring and continuing in the reserves until 2015. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is recognized as a thought lea...
Jason Magnavice is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL with over 26 years in Naval Special Warfare. He spent eight years at SEAL Team 2 before being selected to serve within Joint Special Operations Command, operating in some of the most elite elements of the community for over a decade. He deployed four times to Operation Enduring Freedom and four times to Operation Iraqi Freedom, serving as a sniper, tactical communicator, lead jumper, and team leader during the height of the war on terror. During his ti...
Nick Shirley is an American independent journalist, YouTuber, and content creator known for on-the-ground investigative reporting and street interviews. He initially gained attention as a teenager producing prank and shock-style content, including a 2019 video documenting a solo trip to New York at age 16. He later transitioned into political and cultural journalism, focusing on protests, immigration issues, and government accountability. Originally from Utah, Shirley has built a digital audienc...
Meg Appelgate is the Founder and CEO of Unsilenced, a nonprofit organization launched in January 2022 to support past, present, and future victims of institutional child abuse. A survivor of the Troubled Teen Industry (TTI), Meg was abducted from her bed at age 15 and confined in abusive facilities for three and a half years—an experience that drives her mission to expose systemic abuse and fight for reform. Her 2024 memoir, Becoming UNSILENCED: Surviving the Troubled Teen Industry, chronicles h...
Prior-enlisted in the U.S. Army, he began his military career as an 88K (Watercraft Operator) at Fort Eustis, Virginia, where he served aboard the Logistics Support Vessel (LSV-5) and later became the first Leading Seaman of the Maneuver Support Vessel Light (MSVL). In 2023, he was selected for a Division Commander’s Green to Gold scholarship, transitioning to become an Army Officer candidate. He is currently a Leadership Science major at Old Dominion University and a senior in the Army ROTC pro...
Pete Blaber is a retired Delta Force commander renowned for leading elite counter-terrorism and special operations teams across the globe, now applying his battle-tested leadership principles to corporate environments, authorship, and innovative security solutions. Born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, as one of nine children in an Irish-Catholic household. Pete attended Southern Illinois University. His military career saw him rise through the ranks of Delta Force to high-level command roles, ...
Pete Blaber is a retired Delta Force commander renowned for leading elite counter-terrorism and special operations teams across the globe, now applying his battle-tested leadership principles to corporate environments, authorship, and innovative security solutions. Born and raised in Oak Park, Illinois, as one of nine children in an Irish-Catholic household. Pete attended Southern Illinois University. His military career saw him rise through the ranks of Delta Force to high-level command roles, ...
Dr. Jeremiah J. Johnston is a world-renowned scholar on the Historical Jesus, specializing in archaeology, ancient history, and the New Testament. In 2026, Dr. Johnston became the only academic invited to present evidence for Jesus and the Resurrection at the World Economic Forum in Davos—bringing the Gospel into one of the most influential global stages. His evidence-based approach bridges rigorous research and compelling communication, making the case for faith both intellectually credible and...
Entrepreneur Brett Adcock shares his vision for a future reshaped by advanced technology, including humanoid robots designed to alleviate global labor shortages and integrate seamlessly into daily life. He delves into his work with Archer Aviation, developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for urban air mobility, and introduces Cover, an AI security company using terahertz radar to detect concealed weapons in schools. Adcock also unveils Hark, a new AI lab focused on creating human-centric AI experiences, emphasizing the goal of delegating mundane tasks to AI for an unprecedented age of abundance and human freedom.
Joe Kent is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces officer, former CIA paramilitary officer, and until recently served as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, stepping down from the post in March 2026 following a principled disagreement over U.S. policy in the Iran war. An Oregon native and graduate of Norwich University in Strategic Defense Analysis, Kent served in the U.S. Army for 20 years, completing 11 combat deployments across the Middle East and other high-threat regions. His mil...
Zach Lahn is a first-time political candidate running in the 2026 Republican primary for Governor of Iowa. Never having held elected office, he launched his campaign from his family farm, positioning himself as a self-funded outsider independent of party leadership and corporate donors. His candidacy is rooted in a belief that Iowa needs leadership grounded in rural life rather than professional politics. Lahn’s platform is socially conservative and economically populist, with a strong focus on ...
Michael Lester is a decorated U.S. Marine Corps combat pilot, cybersecurity educator, and author who has spent his career operating at the intersection of military power, technology, and national security. A graduate of the United States Naval Academy and a member of MENSA, Lester also holds a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and an MBA, giving him a rare blend of technical expertise and strategic insight. During his military career, Lester flew combat...
Shyam Sankar is Chief Technology Officer and Executive Vice President at Palantir Technologies, where he has served since 2006 as one of the company’s earliest hires and key builders. A seasoned technologist with over two decades of experience, he has led the design and deployment of software platforms that support some of the world’s most complex and high-stakes environments. from defense operations to enterprise systems. Sankar holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell U...
Barry E. “Butch” Wilmore was raised in Tennessee, where an early fascination with aviation, engineering, and disciplined teamwork set the course for his career. He earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in electrical engineering from Tennessee Technological University, along with a master’s degree in aviation systems from the University of Tennessee. Before NASA, Wilmore served as a U.S. Navy aviator, test pilot, and squadron officer, accumulating more than 8,000 flight hours and 663 carrier ...
